Skipper adds extra punch

Cathy Walshe

AUSTRALIA netball captain Natalie von Bertouch couldn't quite manage a full 60 minutes as the Diamonds downed England 57-35 in their quad -series Test at Tauranga in New Zealand yesterday.

After three ankle injuries inside a year, the latest just a week ago, von Bertouch was desperate to last a full game.

She impressed against England from the first whistle, adding extra starch to the Diamonds' midcourt defence and more variety in the feed to shooters Catherine Cox and Susan Pratley.

But a heavy fall in the last five minutes left her sprawled on the court for several minutes before hobbling off with a lower back injury. Von Bertouch said afterwards the crash to the court had looked worse than it was.

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''I just landed right bang smack on my arse,'' she said. ''It bloody hurt - it takes the wind out of you. But I'll be fine - I was fine to keep going, I just needed to catch my breath.''

England was looking to kick on from its impressive showing three days ago in Wellington when it pushed the Kiwis to a 57-46 win. But it just couldn't match Australia for pace, power and precision, trailing at each quarter as the Diamonds' through-court pressure resulted in a steady supply of possession.

The Australians led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, then 29-16 at half-time.

Cox's movement and Pratley's mobility gave the Australian shooting circle an unpredictability that English defenders Ama Agbeze and Eboni Beckford-Chambers struggled to match.

Cox shot 22 from 28 until a knock to the leg forced her from the court after 42 minutes, while Pratley finished with 24 from 28 before she was replaced by Erin Bell at three-quarter-time mark with Australia ahead 46-25.

England tightened its midcourt defence in the final spell, but still battled to break through Australia's well-organised back three, with goalkeeper Bianca Chatfield and the versatile Bec Bulley particularly impressive.

Australia coach Lisa Alexander said she was pleased with the way her team picked up after a less-than-satisfactory start.

''We were lacking a little bit of fluency in the first quarter, but in the second we started to get our timing right,'' she said.

''I thought that attack end needed to bed down a bit and get the combinations and timing and communications right.''

In the other match in the quad series, unrelenting defensive pressure laid the base for New Zealand's lop-sided 63-24 win over South Africa yesterday.